Spring is New Life
by KaylaDestroyer
Summary: Spring represented new life and hope to the children of earth. It was what Bunnymund had been told to protect. But there was a reason he was sent to earth. There was another child he had to protect. Another race that depended on him. And now, the time has come for him to fulfill the roles that he desperately needed to. It is time to revisit the planet of the Pookas. Based on book.
1. Chapter 1

**What was I thinking when I wrote this? Perhaps that Bunnymund has a soft side that needs to be shown? Perhaps I just really liked the whole idea of him possibly having offspring that I have seen explored in other stories in this fandom. Whatever the reason, here's my story about Bunnymund, including his Pookan past, the importance of chocolate, and the kindness of the Man in the Moon. Note: 'Pookies' are my name for baby Pookas. My first RotG story! :D**

* * *

Spring is New Life

E. Aster Bunnymund sat in his front room. His wife, Esther, was in their bedroom, accompanied by the doctor and a close friend of theirs, who was acting as a midwife. He absentmindedly traced the edge of his boomerang, worry increasing every minute. A Pookan baby was born just like a normal rabbit, only they didn't come in gigantic litters. They were much more like human babies; on average only one was born. Any more than that was uncommon but not strange. Not to mention they were the size of an adult rabbit.

Still, he feared for Esther.

Bunnymund stood and began to pace. The Pookan planet was in danger; strange, nightmarish beasts had begun attacking them. Many had already died and many more were suffering in captivity. He would never let that happen to his Esther, nor their child. It was night now, a conflicting time for the Pookas. The nightmare beasts attacked with the most ferocity at night. But the Man in the Moon always saved them; he would send down rays of his glowing moonlight, and cut through the dark monsters like a sword.

Sadly, the Man in the Moon could not save them all. Bunnymund was waiting; waiting for the moon to give them hope. To give them a hero that would protect the innocent Pookas. A guardian. After assuring himself that all was well in the burrow, he stood and hopped upwards out of the entrance hole landing on the ground outside. He stood protectively beside the burrow entrance, gazing up at the moon. "Manny," he said quietly.

"We need your help. The Pookas are dyin' despite everythin' _you_ and all the rest of us have done. The nightmares steal the lil' Pookies away in tha' night! Tha' parents are lost or mortally injured tryin' ta' find them, or tha' nightmares attack _them_! Please Manny, we need your help! _Who _is doin' this ta' us? How do we save ourselves?"

Bunnymund waited through a short period of silence before continuing. "Manny." he whispered. "_Please_. Give us a _guardian_. Send someone who will protect and strengthen us. Our chocolate can only do so much." The moon then glowed very brightly, causing Bunnymund to squint and take a step back.

After the shining had ceased, a kind face had appeared in the moon, smiling down at Bunnymund. The Pooka's eyes widened. "E. Aster." the Man in the Moon greeted. "You have so much faith in me. And so much love for your family. That is good. You will succeed."

"Succeed? At what?"

"This planet, Bunnymund, is doomed to fail. It is a sad truth, but the Nightmares have gained far too much of an upper hand. The Pookas cannot survive here." Bunnymund's eyes widened in horror.

"But...but what will we do?" he asked tearfully. "We can't fight back! Our children are bein' taken away!" He gestured to the burrow beside him. "My little Pookie is bein' born right now!" Tears began to trail down the adult Pooka's face. "What can we do?"

"What can _I _do?" he sobbed, ears lowering behind his head as he sank to his knees.

"You must find the one you are in need of." the Man in the Moon replied kindly. Bunnymund blinked up at him confusedly, vision blurry from his tears.

"What?"

"_You _must find the guardian, Bunnymund. And in the process, you will become one as well."

"_How_?" Bunnymund asked incredulously. "How can I keep Esther safe? How do I protect mah' little one?"

"You must go to a place where you can learn to exercise your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. Where you can perform the duties of a guardian, and be ready for the day when you must save your kind alongside the guardian who will save your people."

"Where is that?"

"It is a far away place. A place where no Pookas exist; where they are not known." Bunnymund's eyes widened. This place, wherever it was, didn't sound very good at all.

"You mean..." he turned and looked back at the burrow entrance. "You mean, I have to leave mah' family? But...I haven't even seen mah' baby. What if it's not even here yet? I have ta' make sure Esther and the Pookie are safe-"

"Yes. You must. But you can only do that by leaving them." Bunnymund stared up at the Man in the Moon, tears glistening in his eyes and streaming down his face.

"Will I...will I ever..."

"Yes, E. Aster. You will see the child." Bunnymund's courage rose a little at that thought.

"Can you tell me...will it be...a son or a daughter?" The Man in the Moon chuckled.

"You will find out all in good time, E. Aster. But you must promise me this; whatever you get up to in this new world, your goal will _always_be to protect. Especially the children." Bunnymund thought for a moment. There would be innocent children in this new world? Would they face the same dangers as the Pookas' children? He nodded.

"I'll protect tha' ankle biters. They're the ones that need it most, and they'll learn ta' protect others." The Man in the Moon nodded.

"Very good, E. Aster." A shriek suddenly pierced the night air, startling the Pooka. He whipped around, eyes searching the dark as he fingered a few chocolates in his belt. "We must go." Bunnymund looked up at the moon, shocked.

"Now?! But, there's an attack coming! What about-"

"We must go, E. Aster. Leave the chocolates for Esther." After staring at the burrow for a moment, Bunnymund emptied his belt of all but three chocolates and a threw them down the hole. He looked up at the moon with a nod, and closed his eyes. Just as loud, terrible screeches began to sound, he felt himself seem to lift off the ground, as if in a violent wind. The screeches faded just as soon as they began. Slowly, Bunnymund peeked to see himself standing the same way he had been before, but in a land he did not know.

He gazed around in awe at the beautiful, lush land. Large, egg-shaped statues seemed to stand sentinel, eyeing the new occupant warily. Tiny little eggs with legs and arms scurried about, as though flustered and frightened by the Pooka's appearance. One of them seemed to lose its way and ran straight into Bunnymund's leg, falling over onto its back. It's legs kicked the air for a moment and it's arms waved around in a panicky fashion. Having pity on the thing, Bunnymund reached down and gently picked the egg up in his paws, cradling it against his chest for a moment, before setting it upright on the ground. "There ya' go little one." he said kindly.

However, the egg then changed its mind and hugged the Pooka's leg, seemingly in gratitude. And then all the rest followed. Since Bunnymund no longer seemed threatening, they were all eager to show him affection as they climbed all over him happily. Tiny little laughs rang in E. Aster's mind, causing him to chuckle along as well. The egg sentinels seemed to spin themselves around to show smiling faces, settling back down. Bunnymund looked up at a small hole streaming moonlight, revealing that he was underground. The Man in the Moon was smiling at him.

"This is your Warren, E. Aster. You must use these eggs to bring hope to the children of this world."

"How do I do that?"

"You will be the guardian of Easter; a holiday celebrated by the inhabitants of this world. You will leave these eggs for the children to find, all colorfully painted and hidden expertly."

"But, why? What does it all mean?"

"Easter, spring, is a time of hope and new life. Life hatches from eggs. You will give the children hope and protection." Bunnymund nodded.

"Manny?"

"Yes?"

"When...when will I-"

"Soon, E. Aster. Soon. Do not worry."

* * *

Esther panted heavily, her friend Marigold gently wiping her forehead with a wet cloth. The other Pooka smiled at her. "That's it Esther, just settle down now." The baby's cries were loud in the small, dirt-packed room, but the doctor was quick to shush the newborn. After swaddling the infant, he handed it back to Esther, who smiled and embraced the Pookie with a warm smile.

"It's a girl. Congratulations." he said softly with a smile before exiting the room. Marigold left after giving her congratulations as well, and Esther was left alone with the child. She smiled and gently nuzzled the Pookie's forehead, before assessing her. The little girl had her mother's albino fur, but her father's grey ears and his dark markings on her chest as well as a tiny pink nose. Esther smiled and lay back, waiting for E. Aster to carefully open the door and peek inside, as she knew he would. But he did not.

Strange noises from above ground startled her, and she gripped her daughter tightly. Marigold burst into the bedroom, eyes wide and fearful. "Marigold, what's going on?" Esther asked nervously.

"The monsters, they came! Aster is gone!" The second sentence dropped a stone in Esther's stomach. Gone? He couldn't be. The monsters had never caught him. "We have to go!" Marigold insisted, helping Esther stand.

The Pookie began to whimper, causing her mother to stop and rock her, gently shushing. "Hush, little one. Momma's here, it's gonna' be okay." Esther crooned. Marigold pulled her out of the bedroom and then up out of the burrow. Dark, shadowy figures flew all about, frightening them. One in particular seemed to wrap its thin fingers around the newborn Pookie and try to pull her away. Esther screamed and kicked at the creature, effectively scaring it off.

"We have to find Aster!" she cried. The two females took off running, dashing amongst other panicking Pookas and searching for E. Aster. At last they made it to a safe glen where the monsters had not followed them, illuminated by moonlight. Both looked up at the moon fearfully, trembling. It was Esther who found the courage to speak. "Manny, where is Aster?" she whimpered. The moon glowed blindingly bright, causing the two females to wince for a moment.

Then the kind smile of the Man in the Moon shone down upon them. "E. Aster is safe. He has gone to a faraway place so that he can protect you."

"But, where is he? Will I ever see him again?" Esther asked.

"All in good time, Esther. For now, the child must be protected." Esther looked down at the tiny Pookie in her arms.

"How can we protect her?" Marigold asked.

"I must take her to her father, in another time."

"You mean, to the future?"

"Yes. When E. Aster will be ready to care for her." Esther looked down at the Pookie for a moment.

"Will she...will she be any older when she meets him?"

"No. He will meet her as though it was still this day." Esther sighed for a moment, gazing at the tiny face of her daughter. Her eyes weren't even open yet. She then gently kissed the Pookie's forehead, and looked back up at the Man in the Moon.

"Wherever you must take her, please make haste." she whispered. She then bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"Do not fear, your daughter will be safe." the Man in the Moon's voice said kindly. Esther opened her eyes, still feeling the weight and warmth of the child in her arms. But the bundle was gone. She stared in shock at her empty arms, before she burst into tears of despair. Marigold embraced her comfortingly, rubbing her back and shushing the sobbing mother.

"You will see her again." she assured. "Aster will take care of her."

* * *

Bunnymund chased after Jack Frost as the boy rode off on the wind. He had annoyed the Pooka yet again, as he was prone to. It was like he lived to get on Bunnymund's nerves. Finally deciding the chase wasn't worthwhile today, Bunnymund sighed and tapped his foot, opening a portal to his Warren. He hopped down into it, then began sprinting off. Once reaching his home, he looked around with a satisfied sigh. Gazing up through a large hole in the rock ceiling, he concluded it night and prepared to go to bed.

But a voice stopped him. "E. Aster." Bunnymund blinked and looked up at the moon. A face smiled down at him warmly, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Manny?" The Man in the Moon didn't speak often, at least not in this world. What could have troubled him to speak now? "Is somethin' wrong?"

"No. At least...not yet. But I have something for you." Bunnymund raised an eyebrow.

"For me?"

"Yes. I've kept it safe for a very long time. And now, you are ready." The Pooka's ears lay back against his head sheepishly and he glanced around. "Ah, E. Aster. You have forgotten. No matter, you will remember shortly. Just sit and hold your arms out."

Nervously the Pooka complied, sitting cross-legged on the grass and holding both arms out. "Close your eyes." the Man in the Moon instructed. Bunnymund obeyed, breathing in and out steadily to calm himself. After only a moment he felt a weight in his arms, and quickly situated them so that the bundle wouldn't fall. He cradled the parcel against his chest, opening his eyes. Upon looking down, he gasped. There, in his arms, was a tiny, swaddled Pookie.

It had been years since Bunnymund had come in contact with his own kind. The appearance and feeling of the child was somewhat strange to him, but he would never dare drop it. He gently traced his thumb over the Pookie's face, watching their nose twitch. "Where...how did you..."

"It is your daughter, E. Aster." Bunnymund's heart stopped for a moment. The terrible memories of his home planet came rushing back to him after being suppressed for so long by his work on earth. The day his daughter was born...the day he left. He stared down at the child in his arms, a tingly sensation spreading over him. This was his only offspring; the reason he had left the Pookan planet in the first place. The one he wanted to protect at all costs as well as her mother.

The tiny Pookie suddenly blinked her eyes open and gazed up at Bunnymund. Two tiny green orbs like his own stared back at him for a moment. Then the baby smiled at him and gave a giggle. Bunnymund couldn't help smiling back. "Mah' own...little...ankle-biter?" he asked.

"Yes." the Man in the Moon replied. Ears erect once more and twitching, Bunnymund suddenly stood and raced off towards his burrow, diving into the hole. After landing firmly on his feet, he quickly made his way into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of chocolate milk. After filling a baby bottle with the nutritious drink ( he couldn't remember what circumstance had lead to him possessing it ) he gently sat down at a table and offered the bottle to the Pookie. She gladly accepted it, drinking down the milk hungrily. Bunnymund smiled. It wasn't long after having her fill that the child fell asleep.

The most interesting thing a body could learn about the Pookan race was their dependence on chocolate. Not only was it what gave them their combat capabilities, but it was vital to their new life. A baby Pookan could not survive without some form of chocolate, for the mother gave them no milk. As they aged a Pookie was taught to eat other solid foods and rely on chocolate for self defense. But for the first few months of life, chocolate milk was their only source of nutrients. Bunnymund then gently unwrapped the swaddle. Her fur was albino for the most part, a trait he remembered came from her mother.

But her ears were dark grey like his. Upon seeing her chest, Bunnymund was surprised to find the same markings that adorned his shoulders. When the Pookie began to shiver once more, he hastily wrapped her back up, and began rocking her gently back and forth. His expression was soft, kind; one that, had the rest of the guardians seen it, would have instantly assumed there was something wrong with his head. Bunnymund never appeared soft to anyone. Not anymore. But, with his ears hung low and his eyes half lidded, he afforded his daughter the one look he would afford no other.

"Yer' even cuter than that little sister of Jamie's." he said with a chuckle. Sophie had grown on him, as much as he hated to admit it. But she could not take the place of the baby in his arms. "I guess I'm gonna' have ta' call ya' somethin'." he said after a while to the sleeping  
Pookie. He stroked her cheek gently with one thumb. "How about...Naomi? Yeah...that'll work. Mah' little Naomi."

* * *

**So how did I do? Anyone who has read my work before will probably hat em for posting this instead of working on some of my Ice Age or Kung Fu Panda stuff. But I just love Bunnymund, he's my favorite guardian and if you read the book series he's even awesomer than in the movie! I think I might continue this, but I'm not sure yet. So keep an eye out to see if I update! ;) And plz review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Spring is New Life

Naomi lay in the Warren's soft, lush grass, allowing the currently blank eggs to scramble all over her playfully. She smiled and grasped one in her paw, bringing it up to rub against her cheek. She was ten years old now; her father, Bunnymund, often let her help him get the tiny eggs ready for the human Easter celebration, but she had never been allowed outside of the Warren. Many times she had asked him for a chance to see the rest of earth, but the older Pooka always patted her head and told her he would take her when she was a little older. She sat up, causing the eggs to tumble off her as her sharp ears caught her father's footsteps as he approached. Bunnymund sat down next to Naomi, wrapping an arm around her. "Daddy?"

"Yeah ankle-bitah'?"

"When can I meet tha' othah' guardians?"

"Soon sweetheart, soon." he replied, before kissing her forehead. Naomi leaned against her father with a sigh, cradling another egg against her chest.

"Daddy?"

"Yes pumpkin?"

"What do ya' do as a guardian?"

"Well, I protect all tha' children of tha' world. And as tha' guardian of Eastah', I give them hope."

"But what do ya' guard them from?"

"Darkness. Despair. Fear." Naomi's eyes widened. She had never experienced such emotions in her life. They sounded terrible. Bunnymund's eyes instantly widened and he brought one paw up to cup his daughter's jaw.

"And that includes you." he said lovingly, gently touching his nose to her's. The ten year old Pooka smiled and giggled, no longer worried. This seemed to reassure her father, who smiled and laughed, taking her into his strong grip and jumping to his feet, spinning her around in the air. Naomi squealed and stretched out her limbs gleefully, causing Bunnymund to laugh even more.

* * *

It was times like these that Bunnymund wondered how he could ever be the feared and fearless Easter Bunny that Jamie and his friends knew. Who could imagine the Pooka swinging his daughter so happily through the air was the same one to battle Pitch Black, the Nightmare King? With one last chuckle, Bunnymund set his daughter gently on the ground, then patted her head fondly and took her hand. He lead her to their burrow, the young Pookie skipping beside her father with childish innocence. Once inside, Bunnymund served his daughter a glass of chocolate milk. She gulped it down eagerly, then gave him a pleading look for more. The father complied.

Although much older now, much of Naomi's diet consisted of chocolate products, but Bunnymund had gotten her attached to carrots and watermelon as of late. She was just starting to receive chocolate's empowering effects, but it still did little to turn her into a killing machine. She could sprint incredibly fast over certain distances, and sometimes she became incredibly strong. But there was still a time to go before she would have to forsake chocolate only as a weapon. As she downed the second glass, Bunnymund quickly prepared a plate for her lunch, which consisted of many assorted chocolates, a handful of carrots, and a small hunk of watermelon. Sometimes he couldn't believe how much Naomi ate, but she was a growing Pooka. Enough said.

He turned his back for a moment to prepare his own lunch plate.

* * *

Naomi had no sooner finished her glass of chocolate milk than she found a lunch plate in front of her. She gulped down her carrots first, taking into account that her father was doing his best to encourage her to eat other foods besides chocolate. Next her watermelon; she never got tired of the wet, sweet, cool, refreshing fruit. She ate it everyday, and was shocked when her father told her that some places in the world ate it on average only one season of the year. At first she had been confused as to what such a statement could possibly mean; she had grown up her entire life in the Warren, and the Warren only had one season. Spring. But apparently there were three other seasons in the rest of the world, and usually in only one or two of them did the humans eat watermelon.

Naomi couldn't imagine such a life; she ate watermelon year round. She grinned and rubbed her paws together, staring eagerly at the chocolates left on her plate. There was a great multitude of them, which suddenly gave the young Pooka an entertaining idea. Why not see how many she could eat at once? Glancing up briefly at her father's turned back, she grinned wider and commenced her plan. First she popped three tiny kisses in her mouth, chewed them quickly, and swallowed. Bunnymund was still preoccupied.

Naomi then grabbed four duck shaped chocolates, a little larger than the kisses, and shoved them into her mouth with as much haste as a ten year old Pooka could. Which was surprisingly fast. She chewed them viciously, eyes trained on her father's back. She swallowed them with only a little difficulty. Bunnymund was still preparing his own meal. Daring herself even farther, Naomi quickly grabbed five egg shaped chocolates, each about half the size of her paw. It was harder to get them in all at once, but eventually, with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, Naomi was mashing the chocolates as hard and fast as she could with her teeth, still keeping watch should her father turn and catch her.

She suddenly began to feel woozy, but shook the feeling off and continued chewing. She froze as her father turned to the side, fearing her time may be up. But Bunnymund turned back to his plate, completely unaware of what she was doing. Naomi began chewing again instantly, thankful as the chocolate began to feel more and more like mush. However, just as she swallowed the over-sized mouthful, Bunnymund turned and saw the amount of chocolate in her mouth. His eyes widened. At that moment the Pookie's stomach seemed to give a jump and a twist, surprising the rest of her into jumping.

The rest of her insides became unsettled as well, and she began to feel sick. She pressed a paw to her stomach, blinking in confusion. "Naomi, what are ya' doin'?!" Bunnymund demanded fretfully, slamming his own plate onto the counter and racing across the relatively small kitchen to kneel beside her, gawping at her in shock. "How many did ya' eat?" The Pooka opened her mouth to reply, but a loud belch came out instead, and she gave a moan. Bunnymund brushed the action aside and put one paw to her back, as well as replacing the one on her stomach. "How many Naomi?" he demanded worriedly.

"Uhn. Three kisses," the Pookie let out another belch. "four of those little duckies," She winced and gave another moan.

"Any more?" Bunnymund asked fretfully, eyes wide and horrified. Although Naomi couldn't fathom why; he had told her of many instances where human children became sick from eating too much candy. This was the same thing right? A day in bed and she'd be fixed. "I had five of those chocolate eggs. You know, tha' big ones."

"_All at once?!_" Before Naomi could reply, she felt a pulse of energy burst seemingly inside her heart, and began to quiver. Then her legs kicked into the most powerful and speedy overdrive she had ever known.

* * *

Bunnymund couldn't have been more frazzled at any other time in his life. Nothing else mattered at this moment. It wouldn't disturb him in the slightest if Pitch came back, or if one of the guardians were deathly ill. _Easter_ didn't matter if something was wrong with Naomi. He asked her repeatedly how much chocolate she had eaten, ears low and twitching nervously. The amount she had consumed horrified him, but he had no time to make any reaction, other than verbal, before his daughter froze and began to quiver. Then, to his surprise and horror, Naomi's legs kicked up without her control and propelled her into the ceiling, her left foot catching his jaw and knocking him backwards onto the floor.

After shaking the dizziness out of his head, he gasped up at his daughter, who was wincing with her head bashed against the ceiling. "Naomi!" he cried. He prepared to catch her as she fell, but her feet refused to stay still, and all he was able to catch were a few good kicks to the face before the young Pooka was off sprinting in circles around the kitchen, eventually climbing up the walls and even onto the ceiling. "Gah!" he let out upon once again regaining himself and seeing his daughter's condition.

"Daddy!" Naomi cried. "I can't stop mah'self!" she wailed. Bunnymund dug his fingers into his head, ears drooping once more.

"Tha' chocolate!" he muttered in horror. She had clearly consumed too much. Now she was in trouble.

"Daddy!"

"Uh, don't worry, Naomi! All I hafta' do is catch ya', and then I'll figure out how ta' make ya' stop movin'!"

"But what if I get hurt?" the Pookie whimpered as she dashed past him. And in that moment, E. Aster Bunnymund saw true fear shining in his daughter's eyes for the very first time. Ten years and nothing had ever frightened her. He had hoped nothing ever would. A determined look set into his face.

"Ya' won't get hurt, I promise." he replied, turning wildly to keep the Pookie in his sights. Then things suddenly switched from bad to worse. Naomi turned yet again and both Pooka's realized her path of trajectory was dead-on straight for the knife block. Bunnymund gasped.

"DADDY!" she screamed, unable to stop her feet. Thinking fast, Bunnymund leapt into his daughter's path, bending himself towards the kitchen exit. Naomi's feet carried her across the adult's body, launching her out of the kitchen and to relative safety. After giving a sigh of relief, he hurried out after her and shut the kitchen door so as to prevent her from going back inside. Looking up, Bunnymund spotted another danger; the burrow hole. The Pookie was racing madly around the tunnel, gasping in fear.

"Naomi!" he cried. "Whatevah' ya' do, stay away from tha'-" But he was too late. She had suddenly disappeared, her scream trailing into the distance. The Pooka sighed exasperatedly. "Burrow...entrance." he muttered with a wince.

* * *

Naomi looked around fearfully as the Warren passed her by with lightning speed. She could hardly tell where she was going, let alone stop herself. Millions of eggs swam over the ground and barely managed to scurry out of her path, the sentinels turning to her with shocked expressions on their stone faces. Before she knew what was happening, Naomi felt something wet on her feet and kicked up over the rest of herself. Then she realized she had just plowed through the glittering paint river her father had the eggs float in when preparing for Easter, and now her feet were covered in the stuff. Even without turning to look, she knew she had made a mess. She came to a rock wall, ran up it and managed to curve herself around to the right and back onto the ground.

But then a new horror came into sight. As she continued downriver, Naomi realized she was headed for yet another area full of her father's painting supplies. "No no no no no NOOO!" she screamed as she sped over the ground. Then her body was painfully crashing into large buckets of paint, her feet were stepping on numerous paintbrushes (even breaking a few), and she had suddenly knocked over a tub of rainbow glitter. If the Warren wasn't a mess before, it definitely was now. And so was Naomi. She spat a few sparkles and glitter bits outs of her mouth, her albino fur covered in plant splotches and other assorted glitter pieces.

"Oi, sentinels! Box her in bah'for she hurts herself!" she heard Bunnymund command. Then the large, egg-shaped statues began to slowly circle around her, stopping her from covering so much ground. Naomi began to feel calmer; once the sentinels had contained her, Bunnymund would be able to figure out how to stop her feet. But the sentinels formed a tighter and tighter circle around her, and she began to worry once more. Eventually she reached a point where the egg statues were so tight together that they had immobilized her, save for her energetically kicking feet. She wriggled her shoulders desperately, fear of being injured coming back to her.

"Not that tight!" her father called, sounding closer now. But he was still too far. Naomi's feet suddenly propelled her upwards, as when she had been in the kitchen. But now there was no ceiling to stop her, she simply rose up, up, and up, her feet kicking wildly no matter how hard she tried to stop them. The dirt ceiling of the Warren itself came into view, and Naomi's eyes widened. Her world seemed to slow as her paw reached out, and her fingers brushed the dirt barrier. That was the farthest she had ever been from the burrow hole.

And then she began her descent.

* * *

Bunnymund's mind was spinning with a million things, the most prominent being that Naomi was still out of control. The egg sentinels were keeping her in one spot yes, but they were also limiting her movement. "Not that tight!" he called out, fearing they would experience a repeat of the kitchen incident. Sadly, his fears came true. Naomi was suddenly shot into the air, speeding towards the ceiling of the Warren with her feet kicking madly. "NAOMI!" Bunnymund screamed. He sped into the center of the now widening circle of egg sentinels, staring up at her in horror.

She continued on up, nearly making contact with the Warren ceiling, before plummeting back down. A faint scream could be heard as the now multi colored Pookie fell, only increasing Bunnymund's heart rate. He realized that she had somehow managed an arc while in the air, and was going to hit the ground somewhere to his right. Shoving the huge stones aside with a muttering of, "You bloomin' idiots!", the Pooka raced to catch his rapidly plummeting daughter. With a mighty leap, his arms outstretched, Bunnymund felt the frightened bundle of weight that was Naomi land in his embrace, and wrapped himself around her as the went rolling for a moment. Once coming to a stop, he lay still for a moment, clutching his daughter and trying to ascertain through his decreasing endorphins that she was alive. After realizing that all was well, he sighed and held her against his chest, gently pressing his nose to her forehead.

"Oh, Naomi, mah' little Pookie." he whispered. "Mah' little girl's alright." Then he became aware of a soft sobbing sound, and his chest was suddenly very moist. His ears laying back, Bunnymund hugged his daughter fiercely and curled himself around her protectively. "Sh, sh, don't cry little one. It's alright, Daddy's got ya'." he said softly.

"I'm sorry." Naomi whimpered.

"Wha-?"

"I'm sorry I ate all that chocolate at once. If I hadn't then the Warren wouldn't be such a mess!" Bunnymund glanced around. The Warren was indeed a mess; overturned paint cans, glitter covering the grass, paintbrushes and other tools littering the place (some of them broken), and the glittering pain river looked like two people had tried to mud-wrestle in by the amount of paint covering the banks. He looked back down at Naomi; she too was a mess, covered in paint and glitter of all sorts. But most of all she looked terrified. And ti was that expression, those tears, that broke the Pooka's heart more then a thousand children not believing in him.

He sat up, holding the Pookie close. Then he dried her tears and tilted her face to his. "Hey," he whispered. "did ya' get hurt?" Naomi sniffled for a moment.

"Well...I banged inta' those paint cans. I think I might be a little bruised."

"That can be fixed." Bunnymund replied, bringing one paw up to cup her face. "I mean like somethin' serious." He then gently took one of Naomi's paws in his, pretending to examine it. "Like, losing half of this paw. You've still got it all, right?" Naomi gave a tiny smile and giggled.

"No." she replied. Bunnymund smiled.

"Good. Now, why don't we go back to tha' burrow and get ya' cleaned up?" he suggested, wrapping his arms around her and standing. Naomi hugged his neck and wrapped her legs around his strong chest. She nuzzled her face against his.

"What about tha' Warren?"

"We'll worry about it later." Bunnymund replied, rubbing his nose against Naomi's. She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Okay." Smiling softly, laying his head on the Pookie's, Bunnymund strode back to the burrow hole, rubbing his daughter's back. After jumping safely down into their home, the father Pooka made his way into the washroom, and set Naomi down in a large tub shape like the bottom half of an egg. He couldn't help but chuckle at the glittery mess that she was, before turning on the hot water. He then turned to a small cupboard door and pulled out a wash rag and a bottle of shampoo. As the water continued to pour, he poured a bit of the shampoo into the water and stirred it with his paw. Naomi smiled as bubbles appeared and began to surround her.

But before she could play, Bunnymund soaped up the wash rag and began gently scrubbing her face. Naomi's face scrunched slightly and she squeezed her eyes shut so as to prevent soap from getting in them. He made sure to scrub her ears as well before taking a large pitcher and filling it with water, then dumping it over her head. He rinsed her twice more before telling her she could open her eyes. After blinking open the green eyes she had inherited from him, the Pookie smiled and began swishing the bubbles around playfully. Bunnymund smiled and gently grasped one of her arms, scrubbing it with the rag in a careful fashion so as not to hurt her. After rinsing it off, he scrubbed her other arm, rinsed it, and then continued on down until she was paint and glitter free.

Once the bath was finished, Bunnymund gently picked Naomi up and stepped back, setting her on the washroom rug as she dripped water. Then he pulled a towel off a rack on the wall and wrapped the Pookie up in it. She stood and smiled, giggling happily once covered by the soft towel as white a she was. Bunnymund chuckled and picked her up once more, carrying Naomi to her bedroom and sitting on her bed. "Daddy?"

"Yeah pumpkin?" The albino Pookie glanced away for a moment, grey ears lowered fearfully.

"Ya' love me don't you?" Bunnymund blinked his eyes in shock.

"Well of course I do!" he replied, holding her against his chest. "Naomi, yer' mah' only little girl. I'd do anythin' ta' make sure ya' don't get hurt. I love ya' with all mah' heart."

"Even though I made such a mess?" Bunnymund chuckled.

"Ankle-bitah', don't get so worked up ovah' a few spilled paint cans. A mess can always be cleaned up." He tilted Naomi's eyes up to his, studying her face. She looked very much like him, but her features were smooth and feminine like. "But I could nevah' replace you." he whispered. The Pookie pulled her arms out of the towel and wrapped them around her father's neck. After getting over his surprise from the unexpected hug, Bunnymund smiled and hugged the wet furred Pookie back.

"I love ya' dad."

"I love ya' too darlin'."

* * *

**So, ten years later and Naomi has turned Bunnymund into a complete softy. XD Or has she? We will see what happens when someone threatens the Easter Pooka's only daughter. The picture I got from a Google should be a good hint. ;) As far as Bunnymund's face at least. I'd look like that too if someone threatened my kid. I thought his would be a good little moment to put it concerning Naomi's childhood.**

She's such a sweetheart, but she's not beyond mischief. So please review and tell me what you think of Bunnymund's bond with his daughter! And just how far will he go to protect her? Thank you to: 

**The What-If Writer**

**chloemcg**

**for reviewing the first chapter! Plz review!**

Huh...never thought I'd get this far...


	3. Chapter 3

Spring is New Life

Bunnymund smiled softly down at the sleeping Naomi. Now fifteen, she had made a few trips with him when he spread Easter to the world, and she quite enjoyed such trips. She was no longer so much like Jamie's little sister, Sophie. Much more like a teenager in just about everything, but she still held onto innocence, and that playfulness that parents loved to exploit at every chance they got. But she was also far more prepared for battle, and for that Bunnymund was proud. Although he missed those days of watching a bare, white little furball frolic through the Warren, he rather liked Naomi's arsenal and fashion statements. She wore a necklace that contained a single drop of sap, crystallizing one of the most precious things in the Warren.

That was the reason Bunnymund himself had given it to her; both she and the relic held much importance to him. Although Naomi held much more by a long shot. Crystallized within the amber was the last unplanted Eggflower seed. Once planted, the tiny seed grew into a small, short flower that bore one single egg every few days. Thousands had been planted in the Warren, and only this one seed had been put aside, as though it were surplus. But Bunnymund had found a use for it, even if it was just an accessory. She also wore gauntlets for when shooting her bow, (homemade we would proudly add) and a belt around her waist for a pair of daggers.

He had taught her how to properly wield a pair of boomerangs, but as of yet she had none of her own. It was really more like emergency training should he be injured and she out of weapons. The fifteen year old Pooka was currently sleeping contentedly on the bed Bunnymund had fashioned for her. It was like a miniature burrow; a huge bowl of the Warren's soft, eternally green grasses with vibrant flowers here and there to add a spot of feminine touch to Naomi's room. Her pillow was special; made of blue silk and stuffed with some of North's toy stuffing, it was the only part of her bed not made of Warren father Pooka gently climbed in and laid beside her, embracing his daughter. He gently stroked her grey ears, smiling as her pink nose twitched in her sleep.

"Naomi." he whispered. "Time ta' get up pumpkin." The Pookie, as she would be called until turning sixteen, only grunted and snuggled deeper into her father's warm body. "Come on now Ni-Ni." he encouraged, using his pet name for her. Naomi only murmured and buried her nose into the fur on his chest. Bunnymund chuckled and turned over onto his back, gently holding Naomi as she laid across him. He closed his eyes and lay like that for a moment, just to ascertain whether or not she was really asleep.

His suspicions were confirmed when he felt her gently turn her ear so that it lay on his chest. After she stilled once more, Bunnymund chuckled and gently patted her head. "Yer' so much biggah' now." he sighed. It was true; she was only three fourths of his size now. "I still remembah' when I could cradle yah' like a little sack of eggs." With that he sat up slightly, leaning against the 'head' of the little bowl. Naomi squirmed into a somewhat sitting position as well to keep her ear on his heart, wrapping her arms around him.

"Seriously Pookie, yah' gotta' get up soon." Bunnymund said with a soft smile, fondly stroking his daughter's temple.

"Why?" she asked sleepily, before heaving a great sigh as though the one word had taxed her substantially.

"Cause I got a big surprise for ya'." Naomi's green eyes instantly snapped up to his excitedly.

"Like what?" she drawled. Bunnymund chuckled.

"Well, every now and again I make mah' rounds on the globe, just checkin' up on tha' children. And I thought that maybe you'd like ta' join me and learn how a guardian handles their duty." The Pooka suddenly found himself being choked via a hug issued by arms that had been trained for strength. Naomi gave a happy squeal as she squeezed his neck with all she could muster.

"Yes yes yes! I'd love to go with you!" she cried. Bunnymund gave a cough and patted his daughter's arm.

"That's great sweetie, but, uh, Daddy can't breathe!" he wheezed. He sucked in a large gasp of air as the fifteen year old Pooka released him. He smiled at her weakly while massaging his neck. "Alright then," he said with a chuckle. "get yer'self together and meet me outside the burrow."

* * *

Naomi was smiling with utmost glee as she followed her father through the tunnel. He hadn't revealed their destination yet, but she knew it would be somewhere interesting. At last the tunnel curved upwards and the two Pookas popped out of the ground, landing lithely in a crouch before standing properly. Naomi looked around with vivid interest, nose twitching excitedly to take in all the new smells surrounding her. "Where are we?"

"A little town called Burgess " Bunnymund replied. "There's some real special kids that live here; helped us defeat Pitch." Naomi's ears flattened for a moment, eyes apprehensive.

"Pitch Black? Tha' Nightmare King?" she asked nervously. Her father embraced her with one arm and a fond smile.

"He's gone now, darlin'. Good ole' Sandy's in control nowadays; makes sure all the kids have pleasant dreams." Naomi smiled at that bit of comfort.

"So who are these kids?" she asked.

"There's one bloke called Jamie, he has a little sister named Sophie. They have some friends in town." Bunnymund replied. "We're gonna' go see what they're up to." With that he set off on all fours towards the town, Naomi following close behind. The two ducked behind buildings, cars, and bushes, until they came to a playground filled with human children. Naomi stood up, eyes shining with fascination. But Bunnymund quickly pulled her back down.

"What's wrong, dad?" she asked.

"We're just here to sightsee." Bunnymund replied. "Not make a sight to be seen."

"But I thought they believed in you. What's wrong with them seeing you?" Her father sighed.

"Look, sheila. I'm supposed ta' come around on Eastah', and it's not Eastah' now. I protect tha' ankle-bitahs, check up on 'em, but I'm supposed ta' only be seen once a year. And you..." he trailed off, staring at her pensively.

"I what?" Naomi asked, her ears laying back. The older Pooka sighed.

"They might not see you just yet." Naomi blinked.

"See me?"

"To be seen by tha' children, they have ta' believe in ya'. I haven't told any of 'em about ya' yet so, they don't even know you exist." Naomi blinked and glanced at the ground, before turning her eyes sadly to the playground. All those kids, all those children to have fun with...and not a single one even knew she existed? The back of a furry paw brushed against her left cheek, and she slowly looked up at her father. Bunnymund's ears were also lowered sadly as he gave her a guilty look.

"I'm sorry sheila." he whispered as they crouched in the bushes lining the playground. "I know ya' love tha' little ankle-bitahs, I do too. But, I want ya' ta' be safe more than I-" Bunnymund suddenly stopped as a wave of energy passed through the Pookas. It startled Naomi so much that she flinched and gave a shiver, hopping closer to her father for comfort. The adult grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the foliage and all the way out of town. Stopping by a tree on the outskirts, he wrapped his arms protectively around Naomi, eyes scanning the skies with harder look than he had worn in a long time as he pressed Naomi's head to his chest.

The Pookie panted slightly as her father clutched her, his heartbeat unusually fast in her ear and his muscles tense. She fearfully chanced a glance at the sky, eyes widening upon seeing a multitude of colored bands of light making their way across the heavens. "The Aurora Borealis." she breathed. Bunnymund's grip only tightened.

"They're no ordinary Northern Lights." he muttered. Naomi glanced at him.

"Dad?"

"It's time for you to meet tha' guardians, Ni-Ni."

* * *

**So how was that? Poor Naomi, I feel bad for her. Will she ever be believed in? And what's this new danger that's causing the guardians to be summoned? Sorry if this chapter was too short, and I probably got the spelling on the town wrong. Thank you to:**

Alaya2

**annieptc**

**chloemcg**

**TheJoyousCrosser**

**IHeart2896**

**A. G. Wicked  
for reviewing the previous chapters! Wow, 11 reviews on only 2 chapters; I didn't know this story would be such a hit! XD Thanks you guys! Plz review chapter 3, I began working on chapter 4 immediately! : D**


	4. Chapter 4

Spring is New Life

Naomi stared quizzically at the strange, fuzzy slippers her father had insisted she wear. They were stark white and blended well with her fur, but while they were quite comfortable, she found them strange to wear. "Why do I have to wear these again?" she asked. After speaking of meeting the guardians, Bunnymund had swiftly returned them to the Warren and gotten the large slippers on her.

"Because we're goin' to tha' North Pole. Believe me, you'll be glad you wore them."

"It can't be _that_ cold...can it?"

"All I know is that two seconds after I step into that snow I can't feel my feet." her father replied. "I can only assume yours would freeze completely, and I will not have that happening." Naomi still shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. "You can take them off as soon as we get inside, but while we're out in the snow I want them on, got it?" Naomi nodded. "Good."

* * *

Bunnymund made his way through the tunnel with urgent speed, his mind filling with all the possible things that could be wrong. Every once in a while he would turn his head to check up on Naomi, making sure she was keeping up in the slippers he gave her. He knew she wasn't too fond of them at the moment, but he wouldn't hear of her getting sick. Bunnymund was an adult, and not only that, an adult _Pooka_. He could handle numb feet, as much as he hated them, plus he had made many trips to the North Pole. But Naomi was young, and this was her first time. She could get sick lickity-split.

At last, the dirt around Bunnymund felt cool, and he stopped running, tunneling up to the surface. Naomi followed him, pausing when he did. The adult poked his ears above the ground for a moment, twitching them around to check and make sure it wasn't an invasion that had caused his summoning. Once assured the pole was safe, he hopped out and stood tall, scanning the area. Two seconds and he was holding himself tightly, shivering. Naomi followed suit, nose twitching inquiringly before she too realized the drop in temperature. "Cold!" she shrieked, hopping from foot to foot.

"I told ya' it was freezing up here." Bunnymund then grabbed Naomi's paw and began making his way up to North's workshop, muttering, "Can't feel my feet, can't feel my feet, can't feel my feet!" Naomi's paw gripped his and shivered violently, urging the older Pooka on faster. Soon enough they made it to the entrance door, guarded by a pair of yetis wearing metal armor and holding large spears. Wrapping one arm around his daughter and holding her close to his side, the Pooka addressed their inquiring looks, "E. Aster Bunnymund, here on important business." The yetis instantly opened the surprisingly small door and stepped aside, allowing the pair entry.

Bunnymund hurried inside, setting Naomi down on a couch once the door was once again closed. The fifteen year old gave a violent shiver, dislodging a bit of snow from her shoulders. "You alright, Ni-Ni?"

"Y-yeah I'm f-fine." she replied. "S-still a little c-cold." The older Pooka stroked her ears gently.

"I'll have North get ya' somethin' warm ta' drink." he assured.

"Bunny! Why you take long time to-" North's thick, Russian voice stopped upon seeing Naomi. Bunnymund turned to North and gestured towards the teen sitting and shivering slightly.

"North, this is mah' daughter, Naomi." he introduced, laying a paw on her head. Naomi's ears lay back as she stared up at North, the Russian walking forward with inquisitive eyes.

"Ah, so _this_ is little girl Daddy Pooka always talk about." he said with a laugh. Naomi tilted her head.

"He told you about me?"

"Of course! We all beg him to bring you up here, but he say no too many times for counting!" Naomi giggled.

"Because you decided ta' set up shop at tha' _North Pole_ for cryin' out loud! I wasn't gonna' bring mah' tiny little girl up here ta' get sick!" Bunnymund protested. "Why do ya' think I made her wear shoes for tha' first time in her life?" North only chuckled in response.

"Alright, don't get tail in knot. I bring cocoa then?" Naomi's ears perked at the new word, but her father instantly held his paws up, eyes wide in horror as they waved back and forth.

"No, no cocoa!" he exclaimed. "We don't need a repeat of when she was ten!" North only laughed harder.

"I remember you tell me about that." he said. "How long it take you to clean up?" Bunnymund scowled as his ears lay back defensively.

"Just get her some tea. _Jasmine_, if you can. It's her favorite." he growled. North walked away shaking his head and chuckling. Bunnymund sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. Not a moment later Tooth and six of her mini-selves appeared, zooming over and stopping to hover in front of Naomi's face. The teen Pooka jumped and leaned back, surprised.

"Aw, is this the little Naomi you told us about?" she squealed. Naomi's ears lay back in utter helplessness. "I always imagined you so small, since Bunny told us about when Manny gave you to him. Guess I forgot you grew up!" Bunnymund stepped forward and gently shooed the hummingbird hybrid back a few feet.

"Oi, Tooth! Don't smother her!" he chastised. The Tooth Fairy giggled.

"Sorry." Her mini-selves floated over and began zipping around Naomi's head inquisitively, squeaking to each other excitedly. Naomi smiled and held up a paw to stroke one in particular, and was happily surprised as the fairy snuggled it. "I see Baby Tooth likes you." The fifteen year old Pooka looked up at Tooth.

"Isn't she the one who helped you defeat Pitch?"

"Yep!" Tooth replied cheerfully. Bunnymund smiled at the exchange, glad that so far the guardians were getting along with his daughter. After a few minutes of chatter between the females, Sandy flew in on his airplane and landed beside Tooth. He smiled widely upon seeing Naomi, and gave her a friendly wave. The Pookie smiled and waved back. A sand image appeared above the short figure's head of Bunnymund, then of a baby cradle, and at last of the adult Pooka cradling a small bundle. Bunnymund smiled and nodded.

"Yep, this is baby Naomi Sandy." The Pookie scowled playfully up at her father.

"Dad, I'm not a baby anymore."

"Yer' still way youngah' than me." Bunnymund replied, giving her a gentle noogie. Naomi giggled and tried to wriggle away, but Bunnymund had other plans. With a laugh he knelt down and wrapped an arm around the Pookie, not pausing in his noogie. "Come here you!" Naomi squealed and laughed as she struggled to escape.

"Dad, quit it!" she giggled.

"Hey! No rough housing while inside workshop!" North chastised as he came into view, carrying a tray that consisted of two teacups and a large teapot. Bunnymund chuckled as he released Naomi, crossing his arms.

"We're just havin' a bit of fun, North." he replied, standing up. Tooth giggled in delight.

"You two are so cute! I thought I'd never see you smile like that, Bunny!" The Pooka frowned and rolled his eyes, before pouring a cup of tea for Naomi and handing the steaming beverage to her. The Pookie accepted it gladly, holding the cup in both paws and sipping at it.

"Thanks North." she said with a nod to the Russian.

"It is not problem. I assume you want some Bunny?" The Pooka nodded and poured himself a tea cup.

"Thanks mate. So, what's the big to-do?"

"Ah, we have to wait for Jack." North replied, setting the tea tray on a nearby table. Bunnymund sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Of course."

"Jack as in _Jack Frost_?" Naomi asked.

* * *

"Aye, _the_ Jack Frost." her father replied. He continued on, but Naomi wasn't listening. She had noticed ice creeping across a very large window, taking the form of various animals. Eventually it made its way completely across the window and continued in a tiny trail across the ceiling. One of the blue shapes in particular, a rabbit, suddenly peeled off the wall and seemed to come to life, hopping through the air, across the room and around Naomi's head. She smiled and gave a delighted giggle, allowing the frost rabbit to settle in her paws before disappearing. Bunnymund looked down at her in confusion, and then a young voice rang through the hall.

"So, this is the Easter Kangaroo's daughter?" Naomi's eyes traveled up to a small figure on the rafters, crouching and grasping a shepherd's staff. He jumped off the rafter and gently floated to the floor in everyone's view; blue eyes stared back at Naomi's green ones, along with a head off stark white hair just like hers. She blinked in surprise at the eighteen year old human in front of her, standing in a relaxed fashion in his blue hoodie and grinning at her mischievously. She had always imagined him as very annoying and too thin, but Jack Frost appeared to be, although annoying, good looking and had a kind look in his eyes. Even though it was hidden a great deal by his mischievous smirk. But as likable as this immortal boy seemed, Naomi would _not_ be outdone in a battle of wits.

"So _this_ is Jack Frost?" she asked, indicating him with her paw. But Jack appeared more amused than insulted.

"Ooh, nice sharp wit." he replied with a grin. "I like that. Did you teach her that Bunny?"

"Who else would have?" her father replied sourly. Naomi rolled her eyes.

"Come on dad, lay off him. He's a _kid_. Like me." Bunnymund frowned.

"He's still three-hundred and three years older than you." he grumbled.

"So! We get to business!" North said, clapping his hands together. He paused, as though trying to convey the reason he had brought them together. "Pitch is back." he finally stated plainly.

"What?!" Jack exclaimed. "I thought we totally defeated him!"

"Defeated, not destroyed." Bunnymund replied.

"Oh goodness gracious, this is horrible!" Tooth exclaimed, fluttering around the room nervously. "Pitch is back and no doubt he'll try and steal all my teeth again and then the children will stop believing-" North nodded to one of the yetis, who reached up and gently plucked Tooth out of the air, holding her in place.

"We don't _know_ what he's up to." North said to calm her down. "All we know is that somehow he regained control of Nightmares and found new place to terrorize." Bunnymund stiffened beside Naomi, who looked up at him quizzically.

"He what?" Everyone turned to the Pooka.

"He found new beings to frighten." North continued. "He has obviously given up on humans and gone somewhere else."

"North _where_ did he go?" Bunnymund demanded firmly. The Russian man stared at him for a long time, before sighing sadly. He lifted a hand and pointed at the Pooka.

"Home." he said quietly. Bunnymund sank to his knees, eyes wide with horror.

"Oh no..._no_." Naomi set her teacup down and knelt beside her father, holding onto his arm.

"Dad?" she asked nervously. Her father's ears laid back as his paws gripped the carpet.

" They've got no hope now. Pitch'll decimate them completely." Naomi's eyes widened frantically.

"Dad? What are you talking about?" The Pooka grimaced and stood, gripping Naomi's arm tightly. She looked up at him fearfully.

"We're going home Naomi." he said softly.

"To the Warren?" the Pookie asked confusedly.

"No..." Bunnymund turned to gaze at her with sad, longing eyes. "To where you were born."

* * *

**So sorry it took me FOREVER to post this! But I hope you all enjoyed it! :D Thank you to:**

Bellaswangirl71

TheJoyousCrosser

IHeart2896

chloemcg

for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review! :D


	5. Chapter 5

Spring is New Life

Naomi blinked in confusion at her father. All was silent among the Guardians, most of them just as confused as she was. "I...I don't understand." she muttered. Bunnymund sighed and stood properly, taking her paws in his. Naomi's ears drooped fearfully as she stared up at him, his expression of numerous emotions strange to her. "Dad?" she whimpered.

"Naomi, I..." her father started, but paused, open-mouthed, staring sadly at her. "I think it's time I explained to you, _everything_about the Pookas." he whispered.

"What do you mean?" the Pookie asked uncertainly. Bunnymund sighed again.

"If North could get us all to a...private conference room, then I'll explain everything. To _all_ of you." North nodded, as though he understood what her father was talking about. Naomi nervously snuggled closer into him, frightened by what he would reveal. Bunnymund wrapped an arm around her as they followed the Russian man.

* * *

E. Aster Bunnymund sat on one of the large couches in North's conference room, one arm around his daughter, the other pressing to his temple. The other guardians were positioned around the room; North sat in a love seat Tooth hovered in one corner, Sandy was hovering closer to the ground next to the Pookas, and Jack was crouching on another rafter high above their heads, watching with keen interest. "What do you need tell us, Bunny?" North asked patiently. Bunnymund sighed.

"We Pookas...come from our own planet, other than earth." Naomi blinked in surprise, jaw dropping slightly. "Our home was _beautiful_. The soil was more fertile than anythin' here, and we grew some of tha' most wonderful, most exotic plants ta' evah' be. But the most common one - to us - was tha' _Eggflower_." Naomi's ears twitched out of the corner of his vision; this was the one native Pookan plant she knew of. "Not to mention the one we depended on."

"Depended on?" Tooth inquired. Bunnymund sighed.

"Just because I'm tha' Eastah' Bunny, and I protect mah' eggs...doesn't mean I don't need 'em for survival."

"Wait...you mean you..._eat_ eggs?" Jack's voice floated down from the ceiling with a confused tone.

"Well of course! Everyone does!" Naomi piped up. "Dad and I eat them a lot, actually. Almost as much as I used ta' eat chocolate." Bunnymund sighed deeply; a blatant introduction to such a fact wasn't what he had hoped for. Horrified gasps came from Tooth and her six mini-selves, while North only rolled his eyes and Sandy formed a question mark over his head. Jack was silent.

"You eat _eggs_?" The hummingbird hybrid exclaimed, her voice rather disgusted.

"What and you don't?" the Pooka shot back.

"_No_!" Tooth replied firmly. North raised his hands for silence.

"It does not matter what guardians eat." he insisted. "Look at me; I eat cookies day out day in. Nothing else. If Bunny, eat eggs," here he crossed his arms and sat back into his chair. "then Bunny eat eggs. And so does little Pookie." Bunnymund nodded.

"Thank you , North." he said quietly. "Anyway, the main problem is...Pitch didn't affect just _earth_ in tha' past." He gazed silently at the floor for a moment. "Years ago...on tha' day Naomi was born, I asked tha' Man in the Moon to give us Pookas a guardian. Pitch's nightmares were runnin' rampant; stealin' the children, leading tha' parent sot their doom, injurin' 'em. Our home was a mess." He paused again, mind flashing back to those terrible times when his kind suffered.

"So Manny assigns guardians to other planets?" Jack asked. Bunnymund shrugged.

"Supposedly. But...when I asked him, he said that I would be the one to bring the guardian. I had to find them. And I had to become one in order ta' help them." Silence reigned over the room for a while.

"So...he sent you _here_ to find a guardian?" Tooth asked. Bunnymund shrugged. He then turned to Naomi, who was gazing at him with wide, confused eyes.

"Ni-Ni?" he asked quietly.

"So...you're saying there are..._othah_' Pookas, somewhere?" she asked. Bunnymund nodded. "What about..." she glanced away for a moment. "what about my mothah'? Is she...is she still there?" The Pooka sighed.

"Honestly Ni-Ni...I don't know. Pookas live a very long time, so it's very possible that she is. But...I just don't know." The albino Pookie stared at him for another moment, before turning her gaze to the floor. All was silent once more, as none of the other guardians dared to speak during this exchange between father and daughter. Out of the corner of his vision, Tooth appeared to be holding her breath in anticipation. Bunnymund, whose arm had slipped off his daughter's shoulders in the midst of his explanation, gently raised his paw to stroke her ears.

The teens ears lowered gently at his touch, but she didn't move away. "When...when did ya' leave?"

"I...I'm not sure. I was outside tha' burrow, I didn't even know if you were here yet, but I could hear the nightmares coming. Manny took me here, and set me in tha' Warren." He paused, trying not to overload Naomi. "He knew I was worried about you, that I wanted to keep you and your mother safe, and he _promised_ I'd see ya'." Bunnymund continued, using his paw to gently turn Naomi's face to hers. Were those..._tears_ in her eyes?

"Will I...will I ever get ta' see her?" she whispered. Bunnymund smiled softly and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"I'm sure ya' will. We've gotta' go there and check up on the place anyway." he soothed. Naomi smiled, before lurching forward and burying her face in the fur on his chest. He wrapped his arms around the Pookie, rubbing her back gently. After a few moments of silence had passed, North clapped his hands loudly and stood.

"Good!" he exclaimed, causing Sandy to jump and Tooth to jitter slightly in mid-air. "So, we pack up, talk to Manny, and head off to planet of giant bunnies. Yes?" Everyone looked over at the father and daughter. Naomi hadn't moved. Bunnymund stroked her ears gently.

"Um...yeah, North. I think we just need to sit for anothah' moment. You all go get yer'selves togetha'. We'll make a quick trip to tha' Warren and meet ya' back here." The Russian man nodded and headed out the door, calling for the rest of the guardians to follow him. Once the two Pookas were alone, Naomi pulled away, her face slightly sticky. Bunnymund smiled at her.

"You excited ta' go home?" Naomi smiled and nodded.

"We're gonna' stop by tha' Warren right?"

"Of course. What, you thought I was gonna' make ya' fight nightmares like _this_?" The two chuckled for a moment. Bunnymund stood and helped Naomi to her feet as well, before opening up a tunnel to the Warren and jumping down inside, daughter in tow.

* * *

Naomi landed in the Warren safely beside her father, and relaxed upon feeling the familiar grasses and smelling the well-known flowers. The family of two bounded towards the burrow hole, leaping inside and landing on the dirt-packed floor below. Naomi instantly sprinted off to her room, grabbing her long bow and quiver. She filled the quiver with as many arrows as it could hold before slinging it over her shoulder. Then she checked her belt to be sure her two daggers, one on each side, were secure, before grabbing her bow and a travel pack. Next she made her way to the kitchen and began packing it with as much food as possible. Once it was full to the brim and nearly bursting, she tied the top flap down and slid it on.

Naomi gently touched the main piece of her necklace; her father had once told her it was the last unplanted Eggflower seed in the Warren. She couldn't help but wonder...why he had never planted it. "Ya' ready Ni-Ni?" he called from the hallway. Naomi turned to him and nodded.

"Yeah." she replied. Bunnymund sported his usual attire, his boomerangs, but he was wearing a travel pack as well. Naomi tilted her head quizzically as a sudden thought came to her. "Dad?"

"Yeah pumpkin?"

"You were tha' one who taught me archery. If you're so good at it, why do ya' fight with boomerangs instead?" her father mused on the question for a moment, before shrugging.

"I guess...I just wanted somethin' that fit with mah' station." he replied. Naomi nodded; she was aware that the Man in the Moon had placed her father's hideout beneath Australia.

"So archery is common where we come from, right?" her father smiled and patted her head.

"Of course. It's more of a sport of aim and target practice than actual battle, but yes." Naomi followed her father out of the burrow and down through another tunnel, soon arriving at the workshop's doorstep. She shivered violently once more, thankful when they were finally allowed in. The guardians were gathered in the same room as before, only most were equipped for battle. North had his thick coat and hat on, along with a pair of large swords, and Sandy was floating on a circular pedestal of sand. Tooth was wearing a belt much like her own, lined with daggers and a pair of swords, which confused the Pookie.

"Wow, Tooth, I didn't know you did weapons!" she heard Jack comment from across the room. Her father scowled, but Naomi could only give the immortal eighteen year old a calm, interested stare. She hadn't decided yet whether she disliked the winter sprite or not.

"I agree." she said after a moment. "I could see just about everyone here havin' weapons except you Tooth. And Jack." The hummingbird hybrid shrugged with the calmest grin Naomi had seen her wear yet.

"Well, it helps to keep them around for important missions."

"What do you mean I don't use weapons?" The indignant question came from across the room, emanated by a human figure sitting on a curved windowsill, arms crossed and pouting, his shepherd's staff within his grasp but leaning against the window behind him. Frost was already traveling up the pane, spreading out into elegant figures that amazed Naomi. She quickly shook such feelings off and smirked at the human.

"Ya' have a curved stick." she said. "I have a bow and steel tipped, _barbed_ arrows. Not ta' mention two top-notch daggers." Jack Frost only pouted even further, before lifting himself into the air and zooming over, as if he had wings like Tooth, and coming to stand before her, leaning on his staff.

"Well my _curved stick_ has magical powers!" he retorted. "Can your _arrows_ freeze something solid?"

"No and they don't need to, cause they stop tha' target's in their tracks. For _good_." Naomi replied with a smirk, leaning closer to the boy. Jack's eyes narrowed and he leaned in as well.

"So can my _stick_, but I prefer _not_ to kill people!"

"That is enough!" North exclaimed coming between the two. "We must contact Manny and get to Planet Pooka as soon as possible." Naomi's father grunted and pulled her back from Jack, eyeing the teen angrily. The guardians made their way towards the large globe, where the Man in the Moon would often contact them. Bunnymund gently pushed Naomi ahead as they neared the location, her eyes widening in awe at the humongous globe.

"Seriously dad, why have ya' _nevah_' brought me here?" she asked in amazement.**  
**

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Bunnymund gently ushered Naomi on ahead of him as they approached the globe, holding an arm out to stop Jack Frost. The teen ran smack into it, letting out a grunt of surprise. Bunnymund's head turned sharply to him, glaring at the winter sprite. He lowered his face so that he and Jack were nearly touching noses, his tail twitching angrily behind him. "Listen here Frost." he muttered angrily. "I didn't appreciate that little show you and Naomi put on. _Watch yer'self around mah' daughtah'_." he sneered, before turning and ever faithfully, protectively following his daughter.**  
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**So that's chapter 5! Sorry if it seemed a little short, and sorry I've been taking such long breaks in between chapters! Tooth's weapons are based on the book, I just added a couple daggers. ;) Plus, sorry if you were confused reading this chapter, but I actually went back and changed the dialogue in chapter one, so yes the Man in the Moon told Bunnymund to find the guardian. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you to**

chloemcg

TheJoyousCrosser

IHeart2896

for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review this one and tell me what you think! And I'm talking to ANYONE who's reading this! Also, I believe someone mentioned they thought Naomi would sound like Emily Browning. I have no idea who that is but if you readers want to imagine her sounding like that then go right ahead! XD Personally I think she sounds like Emilie de Raven, who played Belle from that tv show 'Once Upon a Time'. See you all soon! :)


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